Imagine 13 musicians on a stage, each carrying a metal horn ranging from a few centimeters to two odd meters long, each playing only a single note of an entire composition, counting his time to step in and step out.
This is the Russian horn cappella from Saint Petersburg bringing back to life a long lost art of so called huntsmen (or Jäger) music – an 18th century invention making its way from forests to palaces on a propitious occasion. The musician appeared at the Preobrazheniye festival in Yaroslavl in Summer 2009.
Once dedicated field music primarily used by hunters has found favour with Queen Yelizavyeta, the fact inevitably has led to its high-society recognition in Russia. Horn music was often played on boats, making the solemn sound hovering far over the water in an idyllic way.
In the mid 19th century horn music become largely replaced with orchestral music and was nearly forgotten. All rights belong to their respective owners.
Recorded August 23rd, 2009
Published February 23rd, 2010 (3.7 mb).